Bangladeshi singer Shahnaz Rahmatullah laid to rest in Dhaka

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Shahnaz Rahmatullah, a renowned South Asian singer from Bangladesh, was laid to rest in Dhaka on Sunday. She is survived by her husband, a son and a daughter.

The singer, popularly known as Shahnaz Begum, passed away at the age of 67 after suffering a heart attack at her Baridhara residence in the Bangladeshi capital, according to media reports.

Rahmatullah was born on January 2, 1952 in Dhaka, in what was then East Pakistan. She emerged as a singer in mid-1960s, beginning her career in radio at the age of 10. In a career spanning over five decades, Rahmatullah encompassed a number of genres, particularly patriotic songs.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, she sang many patriotic songs, including "Sohni Dharti Allah Rakhe," and "Jeevay Jeevay Pakistan," to inspire the people of Pakistan. Shahnaz is, to date, very popular in Pakistan for her Urdu patriotic songs.

Later, Rahmatullah also sang several patriotic songs during the liberation war of the 1970s. The independent nation of Bangladesh was created in December 1971 after the region then known as East Pakistan seceded from Pakistan following a nine-month war that started in March that year.

Rahmatullah had retired from professional singing about seven years ago.

In recognition of Rahmatullah's timeless songs, she was awarded the Ekushey Padak, the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh, in 1992. Rahmatullah also received Bangladesh's National Film Award for best female playback singer for the film "Chhutir Phande" in 1990, and also the Bangladesh Shilpakala Award.

In 2006, four of Rahmatullah's songs were ranked on BBC's list of top 20 greatest Bengali songs of all time.

Tributes from across South Asia poured in remembering her as a "gifted singer" and the "voice of the nation".

Screenshots of tributes pouring in from across South Asia for Bangladeshi singer Shahnaz Rahmatullah on Twitter.

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of the eminent singer.

In a condolence message on Sunday, the prime minister recalled the outstanding contributions of Rahmatullah to the music industry of Bangladesh. Hasina prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed profound sympathy to the bereaved family.

(Cover: A file photo of Bangladeshi singer Shahnaz Rahmatullah. /Photo via The New Nation)

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